Australia has intensified its condemnation of Iran’s leadership, declaring solidarity with citizens protesting what it described as an increasingly brutal authoritarian regime, as the Prime Minister used a major press conference to also announce the departure of Australia’s ambassador to the United States and call for unity at home after national tragedy.
Speaking at Parliament House, Anthony Albanese said Australia stood “clearly and unequivocally” with the people of Iran, accusing the regime of killing its own citizens in a desperate attempt to cling to power. He pointed to sanctions, diplomatic expulsions and international advocacy as evidence of Australia’s hardening stance, describing the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador as unprecedented since the Second World War.
“We stand with the people of Iran in their fight for dignity and freedom. We condemn the Iranian regime and support a democratic Iran that respects human rights.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia had imposed around 200 sanctions and was at the forefront of global efforts to hold Tehran to account, including pushing Iran out of a United Nations body focused on women’s rights. “A regime that requires violence against its own people to survive has no legitimacy,” she said.
Against that international backdrop, the Prime Minister turned to events closer to home, offering condolences to the family of Maxwell Hobson, who died in the Victorian bushfires, and to communities affected by fires in Victoria and floods in North Queensland. He urged Australians to continue following emergency advice and thanked volunteers, police and emergency services for their efforts in what he described as “a very difficult time”.
Mr Albanese also confirmed a National Day of Mourning would be held on Thursday, 22 January, following a request from Rabbi Ulman of the Chabad community in Bondi. The day will be observed under the theme “Light will Win – a Gathering of Unity and Remembrance”, with flags flown at half-mast on Commonwealth buildings across the country.
The Prime Minister then announced that former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will conclude his term as Australia’s ambassador to the United States at the end of March 2026. Mr Albanese praised Mr Rudd’s “extraordinary work ethic” and his ability to build relationships across political divides in Washington during a period that included a change of US administration.
Mr Rudd will move into the role of global president of the Asia Society and will also lead its Centre for China Analysis. The Prime Minister described him as one of the world’s leading experts on China and US–China relations, saying the new role was a continuation of his public service on a global scale.
Senator Wong said Mr Rudd’s three years in Washington delivered concrete outcomes for Australia, including bipartisan US congressional support for AUKUS legislation, a critical minerals framework agreement, billions of dollars in new investment in advanced technologies, improved travel access for Australians to the US, and assistance in securing the return of Julian Assange to Australia in 2024. She also paid tribute to Therese Rein for her voluntary contribution to Australia’s diplomatic engagement.
Questioned on domestic law reform, Mr Albanese defended proposed hate-speech and gun-control measures following the Bondi terrorist attack, arguing they addressed both extremist ideology and access to weapons. He said legitimate gun owners would not be targeted and described new citizenship requirements for gun licences as “common sense”.
Pressed on concerns the legislation was reactive or incomplete, the Prime Minister said the government was open to constructive amendments but urged parliamentarians to act with restraint and unity. He said Australians of all backgrounds deserved to live without fear, whether a Jewish student wearing a school uniform or a woman wearing a hijab, and stressed that respect and tolerance remained core Australian values.
“We are a multicultural nation that comes together in moments of crisis,” Mr Albanese said. “This is one of those moments.”
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